New task force looks to boost Northeast Ohio music industry
Things are looking up for local musicians and venue owners with the creation of Cuyahoga LIVE!, a task force focused on strengthening Northeast Ohio's music scene.
Why it matters: The task force, led by Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, represents one of the most significant partnerships in Cleveland history between local government and the live entertainment industry.
Catch up quick: Cuyahoga LIVE! comes on the heels of the 2023 Greater Cleveland Music Census, which surveyed nearly 2,800 industry professionals, venue owners and musicians.
The resulting 24-page report found that Cleveland has a "relatively healthy music ecosystem," but improvements are needed.
That includes better marketing and audience development, tax breaks and grants for venues, and more inclusivity.
It also suggested creating a local music commission to manage initiatives.
The intrigue: The first move for Cuyahoga LIVE! is to form committees to examine ways to improve audience and workforce development, culture and belonging, and artist and industry support.
Cuyahoga LIVE! will serve as a precursor to a full-time local music commission in charge of implementing initiatives outlined in the census.
What they're saying:"This needed to happen," Sean Watterson, co-owner of Happy Dog and co-founder of the Cleveland Independent Venue Association, tells Axios.
"The goal is to identify what the priorities are for a music commission so that when we're at a stage where we get funding, we're clear on what we need to do."
💭 Troy's thought bubble: I've covered music on a local level for nearly 20 years. Anyone involved will tell you it's extremely challenging to succeed.
While it was already tough before COVID, venue owners like Watterson tell me it's gotten even tougher post-pandemic — recovering from financial hardships and adjusting to new industry trends.
Watterson says the difference between Cuyahoga LIVE! and other like-minded plans of the past is the involvement of a high-ranking local official like Ronayne, who listed the local music industry as a priority in his 2024 State of the County address.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix clash in A24's new 'Eddington' trailer — and it's already on my must-watch list
Reality is a horror movie in A24's upcoming film "Eddington," which just got a new trailer today. It's a contemporary western set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic from horror director Ari Aster, the demented mind behind "Hereditary" and "Midsommar." And if its divisive premiere at the Cannes Film Festival is any indication, it's bound to spark heated discourse when "Eddington" hits theaters on July 18. I'm a huge fan of Ari Aster's films, but his last one, "Beau is Afraid," was such a convoluted dud that I've been holding off on getting my hopes up for "Eddington." But this new trailer is chilling in all the right ways, and it just catapulted "Eddington" to the top of my must-watch list. The trailer showed Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal facing off in a fictional small town that becomes a lightning rod for systemic issues in America. When anti-mask local sheriff Joe (Phoenix) decides to take a stand against COVID-19 safety precautions, it puts him in conflict with Pascal's incumbent mayor, Ted Garcia. The clash sets the community on edge until simmering tensions finally explode, turning neighbors against each other. You can check out the full trailer below: A haunting cover of "Home on the Range" in the trailer hammers home the themes of misplaced patriotism, fear-mongering, and paranoia. You know the other (cowboy) boot is about to drop, but wondering how the powder keg will spark is what lures you in. It also helps that "Eddington's" cast is stacked with Hollywood A-listers. In addition to "The Last of Us" star Pedro Pascal, the cast also includes Emma Stone as Joe's religious wife and Austin Butler as a social media figure a la Alex Jones. Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr., and "Yellowstone" star Luke Grimes round up the rest of the ensemble. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This new trailer is the first real glimpse we've gotten of Aster's upcoming film yet. A minute-long teaser trailer went live in April, but it only showed Phoenix's character scrolling through an explosive social media feed. Based on the trailer and early reviews, "Eddington" is shaping up to be the horror director's most divisive film yet. Its focus on hot-button issues — the polarizing effects of social media, pandemic paranoia, and how American identity has twisted into something unrecognizable — is all but guaranteed to spark capital "D" discourse from audiences on all sides. It remains to be seen whether "Eddington" will connect with audiences. While "Midsommar" and "Hereditary" were female-led horror stories about grief that achieved critical and commercial success, "Beau is Afraid" marked a major departure from his breakout horror movies. One that many, including myself, would argue is for the worse. Phoenix's surreal odyssey to confront his anxiety and family trauma ultimately fell flat with critics and viewers alike, with the critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes describing it as "overstuffed to the point of erasing the line between self-flagellation and self-indulgence." While Phoenix's Sheriff Cross is an entirely different type of character, it does seem that Aster's latest collaboration with the star will take on a more comedic tone in line with "Beau is Afraid." That alone has me holding off on trying to convince friends to see it with me in theaters (watching "Beau is Afraid's" climax together is something I'll never live down), but the trailer is intriguing enough to convince me to scope it out on my own first. I'm cautiously optimistic to see how Aster's idiosyncratic style and surrealism will square with satire on real-life issues. It will be interesting to see whether this new mix of themes and genres successfully comes together in the end. "Eddington" hits theaters on July 18.
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
ICE detains the most followed person on TikTok, Khaby Lame
(NewsNation) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly detained the most-followed creator on TikTok on Friday. Khaby Lame, whose full name is Seringe Khabane Lame, is an Italian-Senegalese influencer. He was detained for immigration violations at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to USA Today. Lame, 25, is a current citizen of Italy and reportedly 'overstayed the terms of his visa,' ICE reported. ICE allegedly gave Lame the option to depart the country voluntarily after he was detained, and Lame chose to leave the U.S. Lame became famous during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was laid off from his job in Italy. He uses the hashtag 'learnfromkhaby' on most of his videos, and he follows along as another creator talks about a complicated hack. Once he watches the 'hack,' he shows himself easily completing it, typically without saying anything. Lame is reportedly an ambassador for the men's clothing company Boss. He is also an ambassador for Binance and UNICEF. Lame moved from Senegal to Italy as a baby, but as The Associated Press reported, he didn't gain Italian citizenship until 2022. In 2024, he was named one of People's Creators of the Year. He told the publication at the time, 'Before TikTok, I was working in a factory. I had a lot of different jobs. I was helping support my family — three little brothers, one older brother and my parents. Then my world changed completely. It's a whole different life now.' Lame's detainment is one small part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. During his presidential campaign, he had promised to create mass deportations, which have led to ICE raiding workplaces, airports and more across the country.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meet the Gary Playwright Helping Youth Find Their Voice Through Theater
From a young age, Charbria Shine knew the stage would be part of her life, even if it meant starting as a mascot and finishing as a playwright. A cheer mascot in kindergarten, she went on to dance at church and landed the lead role in a play on her first try. Her place in the entertainment world seemed predestined, even before she understood what that meant. Shine attended Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts in middle school, but ultimately graduated from Andrean High School in Merrillville. While not an art school, she found outlets for creativity through art fairs, the dance team, and school musicals. 'I fell in love, and I love dance, but I wanted to do it all like most people,' she joked. Now a playwright and performer, Shine is carving out space for creativity in Gary, years after the closure of Emerson left a void for arts-minded youth. Through her original stage productions, Shine is helping a new generation find their voice — just as she once found hers. After college, Shine focused on the business world, specifically the retail industry. But the arts never left her. She moved back home for a while, where she began performing in musicals locally at the now-closed Star Plaza Theatre and the West Side Theater Guild. After getting married and moving away again, she found herself out of work and seeking to rediscover her life's purpose. And only one thing clicked: acting. 'I started creating my stories because there weren't a lot of stories that I saw myself in and stories that I wanted to tell, but I had a lot to say,' she said. 'Having a deep love for writing, it made sense just to start writing.' Drawing on her own experiences — being 'single and unsatisfied' but not a 'damsel in distress or settling for less' — she built a community through YouTube Monologues, blogs, and eventually her stage play The Single Woman Chronicles. Originally slated to premiere in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic halted all plans for a few years. In 2021, she was able to premiere the show at a local church, and has taken off since. She has created several other stage plays, including The Ladies' Lounge, The Little Black Dress, Dr. Love, and is also the author of Self-Love, a book that promotes empowerment, particularly for women, through messages of healing, confidence, and purpose. The Gary native has staged her work at venues across the city, including West Side's theater, the Gary Public Library Arts theater, and local churches. But being on the stage at West Side hit her a little harder. 'It was such a surreal moment because I grew up dancing on that stage, and then as a young adult, I worked there at the Guild, and I was a choreographer, actor, and dancer,' she said.'It's so much history; just going to Emerson and then being a part of West Side as a kid, and the arts were just so thriving when I was there. To be able to come back and, in a sense, have that full moment of coming back to where I started, it felt amazing.' She remembers her time at Emerson as a pivotal point in her artistic journey, where the training shaped her into a well-rounded person — something she hopes to pass on to the next generation. 'I think it starts with people that are in power to actually see the value in it, because if they don't see the power, then they aren't going to fight for it,' she said in regard to many of the arts programs getting cut in schools, which could help students. 'Everyone is not a sports kid, so allow them to have different options so they can be exposed to everything.' Shine often makes her productions a family-and-friends affair, including people she knows share her vision and goals. Deniel Walker is one of Shine's childhood friends and an early witness to her creative growth. They met in elementary school and attended Emerson together, becoming fast friends. Walker originally joined Shine at Emerson, but had to transfer out due to moving away. However, the ladies were able to reconnect in their adult years, as if no time had passed. A supporter of her friend, Walker would always pop out to any event that Shine was hosting to show her support in any way. It was then that she was tapped to be in Shine's show, The Ladies Lounge. While she was nervous about stepping out of her comfort zone, she knew this would be a fantastic opportunity for her. 'She brought out the best in me that I didn't even know was there,' Walker said. Similar to Shine and others in the community, she remembers the days and the impact that Emerson had on young kids in the community. 'I wish it were still around,' she said with a heavy heart. 'Emerson gave options for students to have a voice in whatever capacity or way they feel comfortable.' With many students feeling comfortable in the arts, the school created an environment that allowed youth to have an outlet for self-expression and find their voice. And according to Walker, what Shine is doing is beneficial for the local youth who may feel inclined to do something similar but lack the knowledge on how to do so. 'Sometimes when you don't see someone of your own color doing something, you feel like you can't do it,' she said regarding Shine putting her art out there. 'I think for young girls or young women to see someone doing such a thing makes it okay.' Like Walker, Shine enjoys having people in her stage plays that the audience can connect Henderson is no exception. 'What Charbria is doing and what she's bringing to the community is not only entertaining but transformative,' Henderson said. She believes Shine's productions can open the eyes of new generations to the possibilities of entertainment they can create and the potential for it to become big. Now, with her stage play Dr. Love returning to the community in the fall, Shine hopes that as she continues her work, whether in film, improv, or further involvement in the community, she will inspire what the next generation of arts kids from Gary looks like. 'I'm definitely going to do something with the youth,' she said. Like many others, she hopes something close to what they had growing up can reappear in the community. 'They're our future, and I have the heart to do something with them.' The post Meet the Gary Playwright Helping Youth Find Their Voice Through Theater appeared first on Capital B Gary.
